Woodcarving

Every time I go home to Maryland, Dad takes me to his woodcarving workshop where he is busy creating relief carvings of many different themes. Lots of his woodblocks depict farm work, or animals, and some are nautical. His little "get a way" includes his bench, tools carefully hung in their place, an airplane model flying above his head, and a display of his current and past work. Even though I don't carve, I love to see and feel the wood, and it inspires me to do my own projects, whether it be weaving or drawing or spinning. Here are a few photos from "Grandpa's Shop".

Egyptian Tomb at MFA worth seeing

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has extended its Middle Egyptian exhibit until June 2010. In 1915 archaeologists uncovered a shaft leading to an amazing burial site from over 4,000 years ago along the eastern Nile. The exhibit displays rooms of carvings and implements buried for a provincial governor and his wife, to bring them safely to the afterlife.

One of my favorite carvings was of women weaving on a horizontal ground loom. The fiber was flax and the task was shared with one women who spun the fiber, and others who helped control the warp (lengthwise ) and woof (crosswise) threads. According to the exhibit, these techniques are still used by traditional weavers in the Middle East. For more about "Secrets of Tomb 10A" , go to: www.mfa.org

Pineland Farms Visit

February is a great time to visit Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine. It is a perfect destination to see after a long winter. A little west of Portland, it is a 5,000 acre working farm which includes a Creamery with delicious cheeses, a market, restaurant, and horses and award winning cows. The Holsteins produce delicious milk and graze outside when its warmer and live in a spacious barn in winter. They make good animals to photograph and draw. I'll be ready to visit the farm soon. Curious about more? Go to: www.pinelandfarms.org

Praying mantis study

In late Sept. I saw a praying mantis in Maryland (see recent post). The common name comes from the prayer-like stance, and is often mispelled "preying" mantis--since they are often predatory. Mantis in Greek means a fortune teller. The female often devours the male after mating. The "live" photo complements the exhibit that is at the Atrium Art Gallery at University of Southern Maine's Lewiston-Auburn College. It's called "Spineless Wonders: Invertebrates as Inspiration" and celebrates the diversity of species for the 150th anniversary of "On the Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin. Several other praying mantis', made of many materials (from copper to wool to ceramics), are exhibited and all capture the special form and awe of this insect.

Halloween in Maryland

Just came back from Maryland, visiting family. We had planned to visit Harper's Ferry in WV (John Brown's attack on slavery) and Antietam (the battle that ended the Confederate's 1st invasion in the north) ..BUT... with the rain, we did a car tour and ended up previewing Halloween instead. Here are a few photos to prove it.

The Photographer and The Audition

Star Catcher has auditioned for the cover of Blue Seal magazine.  He is in competition with lots of other corgis.  But he had fun being photographed anyway.  We will let you know what happens.  There are no prizes, but there are nice photos thanks to professional photographer Helen Peppe. Her website is www.hpeppe.com and her specialty is horses and dogs.  (Billie Sue was also in the action, but the magazine wants a "red and white" instead of a tri.)

Maine Audubon Sea Trip to Matinicus Rock

Just 5 miles east of New Harbor Maine lies Easter Egg rock, the southern most nesting island for the Atlantic Puffin.  Through a Maine Audubon sea trip with 3 other friends, we visited there and Matinicus Rock-- about 3 hours further out at sea.  The water was calm for the entire trip and the fog had burned off.  At Eastern Egg rock, we saw a Roseate Terns on the rocks and in flight.  According to Eric Hynes, staff naturalist, "the breeding plumage was still so fresh that the rosy cast to the breast was noticeable."  The seabird colony at Matinicus is truly one of the gems of the Gulf of Maine.  It includes hundreds of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills,  Common Murres, Arctic Terns, and other birds.  Harbor seal, gray seal, harbor porpoise, and fin whale also were spotted along the way.   Other birds included Red-necked Phalaropes, Wilson's Storm-Petrels, a Sooty Shearwater and other pelagic species.   This is a "must do" trip, and tells good news about the restoration of seabird colonies in Maine .    The journey was great, as well as seeing New Harbor early in the morning. Lobster boats were leaving, lupines were blooming, and the fog cast a soft lens on the houses,  barns, and fences.  I especially loved coming back to New Harbor, since it reminded me of special times with my mom and dad, who have vacationed there.  Together we enjoyed a lobster roll at the restaurant and where the boat (Hardy Boat Cruises, www.hardyboat.com) docked.